#138 Buyer Spotlight: Rich Gillmore, Gelson's
The Startup CPG Podcast
Startup CPG
4.9 • 642 Ratings
🗓️ 16 April 2024
⏱️ 53 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, Daniel Scharff is joined by Rich Gillmore, the VP of Center Store at Gelson's. Together, they delve into the dynamic world of indie retail in Southern California and explore how Gelson's stands out as a trendsetter by curating innovative brands that embody the quintessential Californian lifestyle.
Rich shares valuable insights on prioritizing high-quality products, navigating the influx of brand invitations, and the delicate balance between data-driven analytics and instinctive choices for successful product launches. Learn about the importance of brand visibility and collaboration, and how platforms like LinkedIn play a crucial role in fostering connections and promoting innovation.
Whether you're an emerging brand looking to partner with Gelson's or a retail enthusiast keen on understanding the intricacies of the industry, this podcast offers a wealth of knowledge and actionable insights.
Tune in now!
Listen in as Rich shares about:
- Trends Noticed at Expo West
- Strategies for Brands to Attract Retailers' Attention at Expos
- Keys to Rising Through the Ranks in the Grocery Industry
- Description of Gelson's Stores and Market Positioning
- Decision-Making for Product Assortment
- Challenges with Limited Shelf Space
- Brand Outreach and the Role of Sampling in Sales
- Consumer Buying Behavior
- Local Brands and California Lifestyle
- Decision-Making and Gut Instinct
- Involvement in Industry Organizations
- Influence on Tastes and Preferences
- Gelson's Future Plans
Episode Links:
Gelson’s Website
Rich’s LinkedIn
Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.
Show Links:
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- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.com
- Episode music by Super Fantastics
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, everybody. I am so excited to announce that startup CPG now has an official Amazon agency |
| 0:06.6 | partner we think is the best fit for emerging brands. They're called Daybreak Agency. They're led by |
| 0:11.6 | Leon Lewis, who has years of experience growing CPG brands. Based on recommendations from |
| 0:16.6 | the community, I personally actually worked with Leon and the daybreak team for my previous |
| 0:21.5 | beverage brand and I was super thrilled with the results. He is absolutely a great fit for brands |
| 0:27.0 | in the community. In my view, his team is the most affordable and most effective option out there. |
| 0:32.8 | They will fix up your listing and get you set up with the right creative. And they have a much more |
| 0:37.9 | reasonable retainer structure than most agencies I've come across. I've seen crazy retainers like |
| 0:43.4 | 5,000 a month and that's stuff that's just really not affordable for emerging brands. But his retainer |
| 0:48.1 | is super affordable and he does incredible work. He will manage your operations, advertising, |
| 0:53.2 | deal with the most challenging aspects of getting |
| 0:55.4 | you set up on Amazon. He actually also does other channels like Instacart and Crideo. Their team has |
| 1:01.5 | years of experience across all of CPG, and I'm super confident that you're going to love |
| 1:06.1 | working with them. If you want to reach out to him, you can message him on the startup CPG Slack, |
| 1:10.6 | Leon Lewis, |
| 1:11.2 | daybreak growth, or email him at Leon at daybreak. Agency. Make sure you mention startup |
| 1:17.3 | CPG to get $600 of free design credits. |
| 1:34.7 | Gelson's entirely located in Southern California, you know, Santa Barbara to San Diego. |
| 1:35.7 | Been here part of the Southern California culture for many, many years. |
| 1:39.7 | So that's really important to us, is making sure that we have a really good representation of local items. |
| 1:46.0 | We hold that annual local discoveries event where we're looking for brands that are considered local to us, |
| 1:52.0 | which is within 50 miles of any of our stores. We like to tell those local stories, but part of the reason why we just decided to give them the try is because they were right here and on the west side based and really resonated with the Southern California culture. |
... |
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